come off
Britishverb
-
(also preposition) to fall (from), losing one's balance
-
to become detached or be capable of being detached
-
(preposition) to be removed from (a price, tax, etc)
will anything come off income tax in the budget?
-
(copula) to emerge from or as if from a trial or contest
he came off the winner
-
informal to take place or happen
-
informal to have the intended effect; succeed
his jokes did not come off
-
slang to have an orgasm
-
informal stop trying to fool me!
-
Happen, occur, as in The trip came off on schedule . [Early 1800s]
-
Acquit oneself, reach the end. This usage always includes a modifier, as in Whenever challenged he comes off badly , or This model is doomed to come off second-best . [Mid-1600s]
-
Succeed, as in Our dinner party really came off . [Mid-1800s]
-
See come off it .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some coasts will also be fresher, where sea breezes come off a cooler sea.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
He would call that the “wheels come off the bus” scenario.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
If the ball has come off an arm any goal should surely be disallowed.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
Wheeler is their only veteran point guard, and the 36-year-old will come off the bench and handle the ball, but the Sparks are buying into a less-defined backcourt.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
“She means it doesn’t come off, Dana,” he said quietly.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
